Team MINI Heads West for Targa Glory

Fresh from its stunning success at the Dutton Rally Queensland, Team MINI heads West to conquer the Quit Targa West tarmac rally.

This fast-paced three-day plus prologue event kicks off on the afternoon of September 7. Now in its second year, it is based at Perth's Burswood Casino and comprises 230km of special stages over a total event distance of just over 1000km. It is fully subscribed with 85 cars and 170 hard-core drivers and co-drivers raring to go.

Team MINI is fielding a two-car equipe led by the CarPoint-sponsored MINI of Mike Sinclair and Justin Hunt in Car 13, while TV weather star and Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series challenger Grant Denyer is joined by Current Australian Champion Rally Co-Driver, Dale Moscatt, in Car 37.

Just back from a recce of the route in the Perth hinterland, Sinclair and Hunt (who organises the NGK Rally of Melbourne), said they are confident the MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works Tuning Kit would revel in the conditions.

"Targa West has a reputation for being very fast, but there are also many tight and tricky stages where MINI will be very competitive," Mike said. "On the longer open fast flowing roads the MINI is not short of top end so we'll be able to stay in touch with the more powerful exotics," he added.

“Because of the pace of last year’s rally the organisers have added a number of chicanes as well as tightening up the obstacles themselves,” Justin explained. “We have very strong brakes so we’ll be able to stop quickly and the MINI Cooper’s go-kart like handling will get us through the obstacles. This is another aspect of the course that should favour our MINI,” he said.

Channel Seven ‘Sunrise’ weather presenter Grant Denyer will be driving the Team MINI entry sponsored by MINI Financial Services.

Grant showed pace from the get-go when he drove the Team MINI Cooper S for one-day on Targa Tasmania earlier this year. Grant, who is sharing his motorsport efforts with a drive in the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series for Dick Johnson Racing, hopes to follow up his Targa West activities with a drive at this year’s Super Cheap Auto 1000 at Bathurst.

MINI is known for its giant-killing ways, stretching back more than 40 years to three outright wins on the famous Monte Carlo Rally, as well as the 1966 Gallagher 500 Great Race at Bathurst, in which the original 1275cc MINI Cooper S filled the top nine places.

Organisers of the Quit Targa West rally have issued Team MINI with race numbers 37 - the number won by the 1964 Monte winner -  and 13, the number worn by the 1966 Bob Holden / Rauno Aaltonen Bathurst winner, in recognition of the MINI’s strong competition heritage.

Team MINI CarPoint will report daily from Targa West. Keep an eye on CarPoint news for regular updates.

For more information about Targa West click